A Pair Of Ragged Claws
by CaitMooney
Summary: "Harry please!"Draco's eyes were filled with cold, angry tears. "No draco! im fed up, of this game, Im done." Harry was furious, more than furious he was in a full fledged rage. "Harry you dont understand" DRaco pulled at the cuff of his sleeve. "Then make me understand!" Suddenly Draco was also filled with anger. "Making you understand what? that im worthless?"
1. Chapter 1

I dont own the wizarding world, or any of its inhabitants. please review!

Harrry lay awake in bed, sleep a faint possibilty. Too much had happened, was happening, and he couldnt stop any of it. Beneath the stiff sheets of his bed his leg shook, he couldnt protect anyone. Harry thought of Cedric, he thought of how they had decided to be twinning victors, how the moments before Cedric died _he knew_. They had shared a look of deep acknolegdement, a long lasting burning of knowledge that death was upon them, upon Cedric. Harry saw Cedric's pale face, hot sweat turned cold on his lifeless body, his warm blue eyes as cold as the sea. Jolting up harry ran to the bathroon, knees buckling as puke burned his throat.

"Stop that racket!" Vernon's voice carried to Harry's ears and struck like a dagger.

An idle image drifted into Harry's tired head, a mother who would rush from her bedroom, face painted in worry.

"Harrry! what is it?" Harry would look at her and see just how much she cared, so much love it bled from her and suddnely words would ooze from him, like the tears that would fall along his face. He'd tell her about Cedric, about how he felt like small person playing a giants game and she would hold him and whisper to him that it would be okay and he would almost believe her.

But there is no mother. No words are spoken. No tears fall. With Vernons harsh voice Harry wipes his mouth on the back of his sleeve and slumps back into his room, staring at the ceiling before falling into a restless sleep.

The whirring of the train's engine startled Harry awake.

"Harry, go to sleep if you're tired" Hermione was in deep conversation with Ron and although Harry knew hermione meant this in a caring way it came off cold and forward. Harry sat up, persitent on not sleeping.

"its sad really, Mum and Dad have very little idea about the current situation"

Ron rolled his eyes "Well dont they read the bloody papers!?its been the front page for two weeks!"

"Ugh Ronald, its been the front page on wizard newspapers" Hermione retorted smugly

"Well how am I suppoed to know they dont read the daily profit, thats a very popular paper you know!"

"Ronald! They are muggles, you are such an idiot sometimes!"

Harry resisted the urge to tell them both to shut the fuck up. They were driving him mental with their constant bickering. His banging headache didnt help his current mood either, all he wanted to do was slip into a nice, peaceful sleep. To let his eye lids grow heavy...

"Up late last night with weaseltons sister, eh Potter?"

Harry snapped awake.

"Shut your mouth malfoy, before I shut it for you!" Ron snarled, he was half out of his seat, Hermione's hand on his lap.

"Oh dont be so sensitive Weasley, at least she isnt minging like your mother" Crabbe and Goyle cracked up behind him.

Harry was finally out of his daze.

"Shut your fucking face malfoy" Harry too was pouring with rage. He didnt need this, not now, not to start off a new year in school.

"Oh yeah?" Dracos smug face glaring at him "Make me"

Alot of things could account to why Harry did what he did next, it could be the mounting pressure in his daily life, could be that he was begining to feel like a third wheel around his own friends, could be from a severe lack of sleep or the last and most likely option, it could have been caused from that arrogant smirk on Dracos face.

Before anyone could stop him Harry rose his fist and knocked Draco backwards with a punch to the nose so strong everyone heard the crunch.

"Harry!" Hermione cried, pulling him back.

Draco stood up, hand over his bloody, crooked nose.

"Is that all youve got Potter? because if so, its pathetic. Ive been through ten times worse"

Harry looked at Draco and instead of glowing satisfaction he felt a cold pang of guilt, Draco had been through worse, he barely reacted to his broken nose, he was even holding it perfectly, like he already knew what to do.

"What are you staring at Potter?" Draco muffled from behind his hand.

There was so many things Harry wanted to do in this moment, he want to place his hand in draco's, help him up. Ask him why, the richest boy in school knew what a broken nose felt like, why dracos grey eyes were always so very cold.

"Nothing, prick"


	2. Chapter 2

**_Worthless. Worthless. Worthless_**

Draco would spit put this nine letter word from his mouth, like a stubborn murderer who has cracked and confessed.

 ** _Freak of nature._**

Everyone in hid family though, although the words never slithered up his throat, they all knew, looked down on him for it.

 ** _Abnormal._**

had secured Draco a private room this year, he didn't want Draco sharing a room with other boys.

 ** _Faggot._**

From a very young age Draco knew he was different. He recalled a young wizard named Kylen Backstill, chocolate brown hair, and dark hazel eyes, Kylen always had sweaty palms, and a dimple only on his left cheek. Draco felt a strong burning in the bottom of his gut when around wanted to make him laugh, combed his hair before going out to play. Draco wanted to reach out his hand and grab kylen's hand, so he boy minded much, but the parents created a shitstorm.

Draco still remembered the day his father sat on the patio, and watched the two boys play. Draco was never sure just how long that spiteful man sat and watched, ten minutes?an hour?

Lucious let the rage fill him up to his entirety, till it soared through his veins like a drug.

The two young boys were exploring the backyard hand in hand, until everything went dark. Both boys stood in the shadow of a leering Lucious.

"Run on home now Kylen" Even at that age Kylen knew that lucious had power and that above all, he used it off he ran home.

The two malfoy men stared at each other for a few minutes before the sharp crack of Lucious' cane met Dracos back.

"Do you want to bring us shame?"

Dracos warm grey eyes, filled with tears of fear.

"W-We were just playing"

Ten times that cane came down on little Draco before he fell down in the soft grass.

it was another ten times before Narcissa ran from the house.

"Lucious! stop!stop!" she grabbed the cane from his hand and threw it into the bushes.

"Stupid bitch, do you know what that cost?"

"you've been drinking Lucious, come inside and sleep it off" Narciss tried to put her arm around her husband but he pushed her to the ground.

"don't tell me what to fucking do" Lucious slurred.

Narcissa helped Draco up from the ground and brought him into the house.

Draco paced his small bedroom, he paced it and paced and paced till his legs brought him to a stop. Tears forming in his eyes. That had been an awful day. A sudden wave of nausea ran over him, what would his father think if he knew that Draco was in love with the gryffindor importantly what would he do?

Harry took over Draco's mind on most days. Daydreams of soft lips and cold hands. How his black hair might feel when its running through pale fingers.

He pushed his balled fists into his eyes so hard the skin turned white around his knuckles.

Harry hates him. He should hate Harry. Draco decided that he was pathetic, that he would live through when Harry punched him on the train a week ago just because he didn't want to forget what if felt like to be touched by him.

 _ **Thank you :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thanks so much for the follows, favorites and reviews. This story has alot of different couples and pairs going on, so be sure to tell me what you think**_ **_:)_**

Harry paced the dormitory floor. Back and forth, back and forth then falls back onto his bed, arms spread wide.

He didn't know why he was racked with guilt, why his first week back to Hogwarts had been filled stomach pains and twisted headaches.

That's a lie. Harry knew it.

"I must not tell lies" he thought.

Harry rested the palms of his hands on his tired knew the real question, why did he lose his temper, why did he let that spineless, arrogant weasel get under his skin.

"Draco Malfoy" Harry let the name spill from his lips like blood. Malfoy had tormented him since first year, sent Ron into an angry sulk more times than Harry cared to remember and Hermione, how the tears fell from her eyes ever so painfully every time the word mudblood was spat at her from an entitled mouth.

Pain. . That's what Draco caused.

"That's it Harry, this time I'm going to fucking kill him!"

Harry jumped upright on the bed, wiped tears from the side of his face he hadn't realized were there.

"What?, What Happened?"

Ron didn't say a word instead he summoned Harry to the common stood a trembling Hermione, clothes torn, hair more disheveled than all this, one thing stood out, on her forehead the word "MUDBLOOD" was drawn.

"Wait till I get my hands on that bloody prick, I'm going to-"

"Stop it Ron!," Hermione, start between the two boys, others in the common room beginning to swarm. "you won't do a thing to Malfoy, that's just what he wants, ill go to Professor McGonagall in the morning and then-"

"Don't be a rat Hermione, well sort this out ourselves"Ron although this was meant as a caring piece of advice (somehow) it didn't seem like that to everyone else.

"Ronald!the professors are there to resolve these kind of situations-"

"What happened?" Harry hadn't spoken to Hermione yet and the room quietened somewhat.

"I was on my way to the library to return the books id borrowed the night before; 'One Hundred Most Fantastic And Dangerous Beasts' 'Two thousand of the most useful charms-'

'uh, Hermione' Ron motioned her to get on with the story.

"oh yes" she remembered, a look of discontent swept up her small formed in her eyes but didn't make the long journey down her cheeks just yet.

"Three of them where there, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, I started to walk past them they yelled at me, I-I tried to keep walking but then started jogging towards me."

Hermione's face was drained of colour. Her hands wrung themselves over and over, her knuckles turned white.

"Millicent asked me what I was doing her, I started to tell her that I was returning books but she knocked me backwards saying "I meant at this school, its for witches and wizards"

A murmur of insults for the lovely Millicent could be heard throughout the common room.

"I tried to stand pack up but pansy stood on my arm, pinning me to the ground. T-They took my wand, called me names and asked me how I could dare insult Draco Malfoy. I didn't understand until after why they kept saying that. The girls ripped my jumper, pulled my hair and..and..and"

Hermione burst into long awaited tears, meekly pointing to her forehead. The common room was in uproar, calling for a house war against Slytherin, the room quitened down once more as Hermione began to talk.

"After Draco looked down at me, and whispered "You can thank Harry,' He thanked the girls for a job well done and spat on me, you see? it was retaliation for the train."

In a single second Harry felt the universe drop to the bottom of his stomach, his insides twisted and cramped, cutting off their own blood to kill themselves.

"Hermione, I'm so so sorry, this is all my fault"Harry could feel his own tears build up again.

"No mate, this isnt on you" Ron moved closer to Hermione " When I found her they had left her stunned, those bastards took it too far this time"

Harry didn't even acknowledge Ron, all he could do was stare at Hermione, Her pale cheeks glistened, he so badly wanted to wipe her tears away, let her feel his warm hand against her soft skin. She looked up at him.

"Harry it's not your fault, I swear" Hermione eyes swallowed Harry, they swam with tears and Harry stared until he couldn't anymore without his knees shaking, so he turned away, pressing his fists to his forehead

"Fuckinf Bastard Malfoy" Harry spun around again to Hermione, ready to give her a well needed hug, he reached out to Hermione, her eyes were closed and just as his arm got close to contact she leaned against Ron's chest. Ron put his arm around her.

"Its okay Mione" He rubbed her back with his loose hand and motioned some of the Ginny to come over.

"Bring her up to bed, would you? And get her cleaned up, he gestured to her forehead and Hermione followed Ginny up to the girls dormitory.

Harry had enough, he rushed upstairs and left Ron to planning revenge on the slytherins. If Harry was honest he didn't want to get revenge, he wanted to go back in time and save Hermione, stop her from being hurt because of him.

That night he tossed and turned with dreams of Hermione falling and always being just out of reach.


End file.
